Welcome to the the Tzabaco Rancho Vineyards grapegrowing blog. Our vineyards are located in the heart of the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County and we are proud to produce great wine grapes using sustainable winegrowing practices. Established in 1856, our family owned vineyard produces premium winegrapes for a number of major wineries and an enthusiastic clientele of home winemakers. Whether you are a new to winemaking or a veteran winemaker, our grapes should provide a solid foundation for your 2009 vintage wines!

My name is Janice Schmidt and I am a a UC Davis trained enologist, who worked for Jordan Vineyard and Winery for 20 years before retiring. I have fun guiding home winemakers in the complex yet rewarding process of making wine. I hope to use this blog to pass on interesting news about grapegrowing and winemaking gleaned from many different sources to elucidate and educate.

It is still too early to predict when harvest will begin this year. For red grapes, harvest generally begins about six weeks after full veraison (when the grapes turn fully purple). Due to a cooler normal Spring and Summer, as well as significant fog from the California coast, the ripening process is slow yet steady. Due to a three year drought in Northern California, the berries on the clusters are slightly smaller than normal. This generally means that berry flavors are more intense, rich and flavorful. Why? Berry skins contain the flavor compounds that make red wine – the more skin to less juice concentrates flavors.

By Janice|
2017-05-19T21:03:39+00:00 July 29th, 2009|Welcome|Comments Off on Hello Grapegrowing and Winemaking Enthusiasts!

Estate 1856 Wines

Did you know that we have our own wine brand, ESTATE 1856 WINES? We have been making our special red wine blends since 2009 and every one of our table wines has won GOLD!

We also have several BEST OF CLASS wines and one special RED SWEEPSTAKES wine from the 2013 Sonoma County Harvest Fair! You can connect with us and buy our wines at WWW.ESTATE1856.COM!

Read about our 2012 Duvall's Prospect, our Bordeaux Blend, crafted from Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot that has won THREE Gold Medals, TWO Double Gold Medals and ONE Platinum Medal!

Explore our two BEST OF CLASS Bordeaux varietals, our 2013 Malbec and our 2013 Petit Verdot. Not only has the 2013 Malbec won Best of Class at the 2015 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition but it also scored 95 points and a Gold Medal at the 2016 North Coast Wine Challenge and won a Gold Medal at the 2015 Grand Harvest Awards. Our 2013 Petit Verdot won a Gold Medal at the 2015 Sonoma County Harvest Fair, a Double Gold Medal at the 2015 Grand Harvest Awards and the coveted Best of Class at the 2015 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition!